Arizona weekly citizen., 1887-03-12
MUSIC FOR CHURCHES.
THE STAGE RoBs THE CHURCH CHOIR OF THE BEST VOICES.

The Growing Demands of Church Goers.
 The Secret Of the Present Dearth of
 Good voiees-Sopranos and Tenors Be
 coming Scarce.
 The churches in New York are trying to solve the problem how and where the music Tor lSSI Is to De obtained. There Is money enough Co pay for cultivated voices, but the trouble is that trained voices are not in the market. As in times past the church going public demanded that they should have preacher of celebrity and power, SO now they demand that cultivated voices shall be furnished for the choir. Although there Is a development of the craving for chorus choirs and for double quartets. nothing short of well balanced, competent choT that can interpret the most difficult selections will satisfy the average church goer. In fact, the character of the music rendered by G church choir to-day is of as much importance and great drawing card as the man who occupies the pulpit. Con sequen;ly the church music committees arc having very industrious hunt for good voices.
 Cultivated soprano and tenor voices are
 & -AAAAAAH anu 70 1ltAAA' AlAAA AAAe NNAAA- iSts of New York are looking for salaries as well as fame. It is estimated that the Sala- rieS paid for church music in this city, al though ranging from Sl00 to 5000 per year, aggregate without doubt many times the pastoral salaries. It has long been the complaint of those engaged in church choir work that they were by no means suf- hciently recOmpensed for the time and abil- ity involved, but SO long as volunteers and able recruits could Dc had almost for the -sking their plaints and criticisms were unheeded.
 FOUND BETTER MARKET.
 "I do not think the secret of the present dearth of good voices is that singers have determined to be paid for their work or not sing" said a well-known wieldor of the chorister baton the other day. Tt is rather that they have found much better market for their voices. Since the introduction of 'Pinafore' into this country the church chOirs have been ransacked and depleted Co the end of furnishing leading and chorus voices for the multitude of comic operas that have SO quickly and successfully fol- lowed Gilbert and Sullivan's tuncful history of Ralph Rackstraw. Where a good singer once lent the best endeavors to obtaining a position in church choir. to-day the rule IS 10 seek out some manager in anticipation of securing an. engagement on the stage Even those persons who have not succeeded m finding such an engagement still refuse church work because they hope soon tO se- cure the long coveted place on the operatic or theatrical stage. In brief, the church has been robbed by the stage for the past five years.
 Not only are our own city churches in need of good voices, because of this gradua- tiOn to the stage, but because out of town churches, finding it difficult Co secure com petent voices have invaded New York. and by making liberal ofIers have carried away some of our best singers There are plenty of singers to be sure, but there k a scarcity of available voices of the requisite cultiva- ton for church service Though the main difficulty ans Co be in obtaining sopranos and tenOrs, the deficiency Is really mot con fined Co one class of vocalists. Altos and bass voices can be had, but they must bs literally paid for ] call Co mind now an instance where one church in this city will pay a newly engaged alto more than double | the salary given to her predecessor While | many bass and baritone voice are in the | market, SD to speak. the rich. deep. well rounded bass Is to bs obtained only with l much difficulty. Singers pOss-ssius voices l have no cultivation, and those whose voices l show culture are lacking in the dc~ire,l tim l Der. lt Is fact that in order Co rC-aiu the | yCluabie cumpOngHts of their ch1ir- many | of the churches will have to increase the | salaries next year more than cvcs before. ! As I look back l can call Co mind several 1 well known companies on the road that represent many of the best voices that have been heard in church chOirs. New York | Mail and Express.